Should I ditch the smart features and just accept that a Polar device should be put on before a run, only to be removed immediately upon completion

The workout mode is so easy to access, clearly laid out, feature rich, and just feels great

Consider the Garmin Forerunner 235 for great battery life, basic notifications and smart features, and accurate GPS and heart rate monitoring

After an honest attempt at powering through the strap issues and using it as my daily driver, I had to confront another harsh reality: the smart features on this device are simply unnecessary

It has standalone GPS, smart features, daily tracking, a user friendly interface with regards to starting a run and tracking it while you go, and an app to view more advanced metrics

The Fitbit did a great job with tracking my workouts and runs, but lacked HEAVILY in the smart features department

If smart features are important and you have an iPhone, consider the Apple Watch series 2

If you have an Android device and smart features are important, I feel sorry for you

And Garmin connect is far more feature rich than Polar Flow including things like shoe tracking, sleep tracking, lifetime summaries

After an honest attempt at powering through the strap issues and using it as my daily driver, I had to confront another harsh reality: the smart features on this device are simply unnecessary

This feature was promised for Android users about 9 months ago, and still it is not there

Love the features of this watch

This made me wonder why I even purchased the M600 over something like the M430, which is essentially the same watch, sans color display and smart features, for a lighter pricetag

You should decide how important the smart features of a watch are to you, and whether you want to wear it all the time or only while exercising

I've owned this watch for almost a year now and while it does have some nice features, it fails as both an everyday watch and fitness tracker on so many levels

If, on the other hand, you view smart features as a nice added bonus but not at all necessary, there are options

It's a battery hog, and you may get 1.5 days out of it, but that's on par with most other full feature smart watches

However, the heart rate monitor as spotty at best, and the sleep monitor function is next to worthless as it reads sitting and reading or watching TV as sleeping and provides.